This invention relates to the formation and feeding of a batt of fibrous material.
In particular, this invention relates to the formation and feeding of a cotton batt, and more specifically to the formation and feeding of such a batt in connection with the formation of cotton bales by the successive compression of overlapping layers of cotton provided by folding the batt into itself.
In this regard, reference may be had to our copending application Ser. No. 532,008 filed concurrently herewith for "Cotton Packaging Method and Apparatus" and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,021 on Apr. 6, 1976, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. As pointed out in that disclosure, a cotton batt is directed between a batt feeding opening, defined between two upper platens, into a bale forming zone disposed between those platens and a lower platen. The platens include compression and conveying surfaces which operate, as the batt is folded upon itself, to form a compressed cotton bale in stages.
It is also pointed out in that disclosure that other proposals have contemplated formation of cotton bales through the application of pressure over the area of successive cotton layers. Those proposals have not, however, specified in detail the manner in which a batt is to be provided.
Batts have been provided in the past in various cotton handling operations. While prior techniques for forming and feeding such batts might be desirable for some purposes, they may not be entirely suitable insofar as batt uniformity and/or amenability to adjustments for batt thickness are concerned.
Although some prior batt forming operations may be acceptable insofar as uniformity is concerned, they will not be entirely compatible with bale forming systems involving the application of pressure over the area of successive layers of cotton. For example, in continuous ginning operations a cotton batt is essentially continuously formed utilizing conventional condensor techniques. But, during a bale formation operation involving the application of pressure over the area of a successive cotton layers, there may be times when it becomes necessary or desirable to interrupt feeding of a batt to the bale making equipment. It would, however, be undesirable to similarly interrupt the ginning and forming processes.